An estimated 101 million people in India are living with diabetes, according to a recent study published in The Lancet. The estimate is higher than previously thought.

With another 136 million people estimated to be living with pre-diabetes, the South Asian country has earned the unfortunate distinction of being the diabetes capital of the world.

The study on non-communicable disease in India was carried out over a decade by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation.

Diabetes is growing as a global health challenge. According to another recent study published in The Lancet, the number of diabetes cases world wide could to jump to 1.3 billion in the next 30 years.

India finds itself at the forefront of this epidemic. As the health care system grapples with the burden, experts believe that Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds immense potential to transform diabetes care in India.

"The potential lies in its ability to enhance early detection, personalize treatment, and empower individuals to manage their condition more effectively," said Gayathri Chodha, who is the founder of Bengaluru-based Aarca Research, which has developed technology for early detection of Type 2 diabetes.

< Watch the video at the source page. >

How Type 2 diabetes develops

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels.

Over time, blood sugar imbalances can permanently damage blood vessels and nerves.

A "pre-diabetic" is someone with high blood sugar considered as having a high risk of developing diabetes. A sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and obesity are among the factors contributing to developing the disorder.

AI solutions to fight diabetes

Aarca Research claims that its Intelligent Health Risk Assessment (IHRA) technology is the first of its kind, using infrared-based thermal imaging of a patient's face to rapidly identify biomarkers related to diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol imbalances (dyslipidemia). Traditionally, physicians rely on blood tests for early detection of such diseases.

Bengaluru-based Artelus is another company that offers solutions for diabetic retinopathy, which is the degradation of blood vessels in the eyes that eventually causes blindness.

The company has developed a system that is capable of screening a person for diabetic retinopathy in less than a minute.

Detecting the disorder is generally a time-consuming process requiring a physician to scan hundreds of retinal images looking for blood vessel abnormalities. Using AI to streamline the detection process allows for early diagnosis and treatment.

"Our solution ensures that the eye specialist has to only provide consultation for the patients identified through our system," said Pradeep Walia, founder and director of Artelus.

AI-technology can quickly scan retinal blood vessels for signs of diabetic retinopathy

Predictive analytics is another AI application that can help treat diabetes by analyzing masses of patient health data, especially glucose levels, to detect potential complications earlier.

AI also has a role to play in personalizing treatment plans to fit an individual's profile, educating and encouraging patients to adhere to those plans.

That's where apps like BeatO come in, which provide AI support around the clock to help patients stay motivated. Then there are wearable devices with sensors powered by AI algorithms that can showcase new biomarkers that did not exist earlier.

Scaling AI in Indian health care

Successful implementation of these AI solutions hinges on several factors such as closing infrastructure gaps, ensuring data privacy, and tailoring solutions to suit the diverse socioeconomic contexts within India.

Aarca Research claims that their AI-driven method for early detection of type 2 diabetes is priced less than $5, which makes it accessible to a wide range of individuals seeking proactive diabetes management, across various socioeconomic backgrounds. 

Meanwhile, Artelus says it has partnered with multiple eye hospitals, NGOs and public health departments across India to screen close to 100,000 people and has identified thousands of patients with diabetic retinopathy.

However, physicians say avoiding diabetes altogether with a healthy diet and exercise is the best course. Unfortunately, the Lancet study shows the increase in diabetes in India comes along with rising levels of risk factors such as obesity.

In terms of diabetes prevalence, the southern and northern regions of India exhibit the highest rates, with urban areas consistently showing high prevalence.

More and more children are also being diagnosed with diabetes. 

However, studies published in 2021, before the new research was published in Lancet, already estimated that more than 50% of diabetes cases in India remain undiagnosed.

< Watch the video at the source page. >

Fully automated insulin dosing

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Reports say the size of the Starfield preloads is pretty high at 116GB. If you bought the $99.99 Premium Edition, you can start playing the game tomorrow, August 31, starting at 8 pm Eastern time (5 pm Pacific time). Standard Edition players have a bit more time to download the game, as it won't unlock until September 5.

Currently, Steam's top 100 sales charts has Starfield as the number one game on the service before the Early Access time period begins. It will be interesting to see how many players will be online on Steam playing the more expensive Premium Edition when those gamers are allowed to play on Thursday.

Microsoft started preloads for the game earlier in August on the Xbox Store for Xbox Series X and S gamers, along with the Microsoft Store for PC gamers. Preloads are also available for subscribers to Xbox Games Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Earlier this week, a 15GB day-zero patch for Starfield was released ahead of the Early Access unlock, with a number of bug fixes.

The game can also reportedly be run on portable gaming PCs like Valve's Steam Deck and the more recent ASUS ROG Ally, according to a report on Inside Gaming. However, it's currently unclear just how well Starfield can run on those devices.

The review embargo for Starfield is scheduled to lift at Noon Eastern time on August 31. You can expect game streamers who got early access to the game to start streaming live gameplay a few hours before Early Access starts.

Not all major game outlets got a chance to get copies of the game ahead of time. Eurogamer posted word on Tuesday it had yet to get an early review code from Bethesda, for currently unknown reasons. However, it later posted an update stating the review code had indeed been sent.

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Whenever one goes to buy a graphics card, one asks themselves these two questions. First, what GPU brand to select, Nvidia or AMD or Intel. Second, which graphics card board maker brand (AIB) to select.

That’s because while only two to three companies make GPUs, there are dozens of brands that make the graphics cards themselves by using those GPUs.

Why? Because Nvidia and AMD do not make whole graphics cards themselves. They only make the GPU and sell it to brands and decide the selling price. The AIBs later design the board themselves (based on reference design by Nvidia / AMD) and add extra functions like additional overclocks, extra fans, RGB and such.

In terms of AIBs, there are some of them that exclusively sell either Nvidia GeForce RTX or AMD Radeon RX graphics cards, not both. Then there are some that sell both of them.

If one checks hardware related places of sites like Reddit and other sites, a lot of graphics card-related questions are the same. Which brand to buy. Which brand has better warranty and service.

The reason is simple, all graphics card makers make the cards differently and with different quality.

So the question is, which graphics card brand is of top quality, suffers from the fewest defects and replaces or repairs graphics cards quickly. Now we have some idea about it.

Most And Least Defective Graphics Card Brands

A few days ago, Twitter (now known as X) based user @TechEpiphany, best known for sharing CPU, graphics cards and other top-selling lists from German retailer Mindfactory, has shared another important piece of information via a tweet.

In it, he shares the graphics card RMA rates from the Swiss retailer Digitec Galaxus. RMA means return merchandise authorization. In simple words, an RMA is when you contact the seller if defects are found in the product and ask for its replacement or repair during the warranty period.

As per the list shared by him, the Gainward has the lowest defect rate, with just 0.4% of graphics cards requiring RMA. The highest defect rate is found in graphics cards by Sapphire, which, while usually well-known for great-quality AMD graphics cards, holds the notorious distinction in this list.

In terms of warranty resolution and it’s duration, AsRock and Palit have the best service. Both brands on average take just two days to give the customer’s card back to them, which is massively impressive. On the other hand, Gigabyte, which not only has relatively higher failure rates but also takes the longest amount of time – 17 days – to get the product back to the customer.

Table And Explanation

For those who are not able to view the above image, we have made two tables and given an explanation on the numbers. To help one understand things better.

Defect rates:

Average warranty service claim days:

The above tables reveal a number of interesting things.

First, graphics cards from Nvidia brand partners have fewer defects, as per this list. While AMD graphics card brand partners seem to have more of defects being reported in them.

Second, Sapphire Technology, which makes reference cards for AMD with the AMD brand name, has higher defects in their own branded cards than AMD reference ones.

Third, Gainward, which in turn is owned by Palit, makes excellent graphics cards. This applies to both companies.

Fourth, if one is looking for AMD graphics cards, then they cannot go wrong with Powercolour, which seems to be the best for AMD. After that ASUS and MSI follows. But it should be mentioned that both are not primary AMD card makers, nor do they exclusively make AMD ones.

Fifth, ASUS, MSI and Gigabyte, which are considered to be the best, are not the best as per the list. This despite charging a premium over other brands. We guess this is probably because they are not specialized in graphics cards alone and sell other products too.

Conclusion

It must be mentioned that the list is based on two years of data and doesn’t reflect the latest trends. Here are the details of how things are counted in this list by the retailer. For example, EVGA has stopped selling graphics cards these days after their rumored altercation with Nvidia. Yet it’s in the list.

Another example is AsRock, which has also started selling Intel graphics cards relatively recently. So while we have mentioned Intel in the list, it’s more of an information. Not any suggestion that Intel cards from AsRock are in any way found to be defective. We have no exact information on that part. That’s because AsRock is more known for AMD graphics cards.

Not to forget, a lot of these graphics card brands are regional exclusives and are not found everywhere in the world. So if one wants to decide whether to purchase from a brand, one has to take that into consideration. Local presence matters too when it comes to warranty claims.

Another thing to mention is that this data is from Switzerland’s top retailer. So while it can be trusted, the real defect rate and warranty service can differ from region to region and country to country, especially the warranty service part. What we do know is that this gives us a fair idea of things.

Hopefully, we have helped potential buyers understand what the best brand is for them to select if defects alone are considered.

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What you need to know

• G.SKILL announced a new DDR5 memory kit under the Trident Z5 Neo RGB series.
• Designed for the AMD AM5 platform, the new memory kits support speeds up to DDR5-6400 with CL32-39-39 timings when validated on the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X processor with the ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X670E HERO motherboard running the 1602 BIOS update.

When it comes to DDR5 RAM, there's been no shortage of options developed with 13th Gen Intel processors in mind, but for those AMD fans wanting to experience specialized low latency and high-speed RAM it's been slim pickings. G.SKILL set out to change that, however, with their latest announcement of the Trident Z5 Neo RGB series designed for AMD's AM5 platform.

The Trident Z5 Neo RGB series is designed for AMD Ryzen 7000 processors combined with X670 chipset motherboards running the AGESA 1.0.0.7c BIOS update and programmed with AMD EXPO overclock profile technology to make the absolute most out of low latency so that enthusiasts, overclockers and DIY builders alike can ensure they've got the ideal AMD system.

While memory performance is variable depending on customization factors such as motherboard model, CPU model and BIOS versions G.SKILL did provide a screenshot of a 32GB Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6400 memory kit with CL32-39-39 memory timings validated on an AMD Ryzen 9 7950x desktop processor with an ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Hero motherboard running the 1602 BIOS update.

(Image credit: G.Skill)

In addition to support for the AM5 platform, G.SKILL's Trident Z5 Neo RGB is adding a brand-new white version with a sleek black brushed aluminum strip inset, giving your rig just as much style as speed. The new wave of Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6400 memory kits will begin rolling out to G.SKILL's authorized distribution partners in September. 

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Jon Peddie Research (JPR) shows that AMD gained overall GPU market share in Q2 2023, while rivals Intel and NVIDIA declined. AMD's GPU share increased 1.2% year-over-year to 26.9% in Q2. This growth was fueled by a major increase in AMD's GPU shipments, which jumped 22.9% compared to Q2 2022.

Meanwhile, Intel's market share declined 0.4% and Nvidia dropped 0.8%. In the quarter, Intel and Nvidia saw more modest GPU shipment increases of 11.7% and 7.5%, respectively.

In the discrete GPU (dGPU) market, Nvidia maintained its leading position with 87% share. AMD took a 10% dGPU share, with Intel capturing 3% of the discrete market. Total dGPU shipments were up 12% year-over-year, higher than the 10-year average growth rate of 8.1%.

For integrated graphics processors (iGPUs), Intel held an 84% share to AMD's 16%. Total iGPU shipments reached 49 million units, a 13% increase versus Q2 2022.

Notebook GPUs accounted for 73% of total GPU shipments, with desktop GPUs making up the remaining 27% share. While Intel led both segments, NVIDIA took a 31% share of the desktop GPU market. AMD managed just 14% desktop GPU share but split the notebook segment almost evenly with NVIDIA at 15% and 13% share, respectively.

In a statement, president of JPR, Jon Peddie, said;

Whereas the increased shipments are welcome good news, the overall PC market and, therefore, the GPU market, has been on a steady decline since 2010. And so, if the market has indeed turned around, it's not going to get to the levels it was 10 years ago."

With suppliers guiding up for Q3 2023, the GPU market looks to continue its momentum through the year's second half. Meanwhile, the global demand for PCs will seemingly stay tepid for the rest of the year.

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Xbox Series X|S, Microsoft Store PC, and Game Pass subscribers who have preloaded the game should now have the update rolling out to them. It weighs around 15GB on both PC and console. As Steam players aren't able to pre-load the game until the premium early access period starts for everyone, they should not see a change in their download procedure.

While Bethesda has not published official patch notes for this update yet, a leak from insider-gaming seems to have spilled the beans early. Looking at the leaked notes the focus is on bug fixes and resolving crashes, as well as improving performance.

The leaked notes from the Starfield early access 1.7.23 patch can be seen below. Keep in mind there may be spoilers in the descriptions, especially in the Quest Fixes section, so skip ahead to avoid the details:

• Performance and Stability Fixes
  • Improved stability related to suspending and resuming the game. (Xbox Series X/S)
  • Fixed rare crash that could occur when viewing the credits after completing the game.
  • Fixed crash that could appear when repeatedly loading some saves inside of ships.
  • Various stability and performance improvements.
• Visual Fixes
  • Fixed an issue where sometimes hair would not appear on characters.
  • Improved distant object appearance when transitioning to the surface of a planet.
  • Addressed an issue that sometimes caused face animations to move abruptly.
  • Fixed an issue where rarely in certain views white flashing boxes could appear in the Handscanner.
  • Fixed an issue that would cause an undesirable texture blend near the coastline.
  • Fixed an issue that would cause textures to degrade unnecessarily. (Xbox Series S)
• Gameplay Fixes
  • Fixed a rare issue that could cause Companions to float in the air.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause some ship modules to become misaligned.
  • Fixed some issues that would prevent touch-down points from turning red in Ship Builder.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause the player to appear incorrectly when equipping items.
  • Addressed an issue that could prevent the Isolation skill from behaving as intended.
  • Adjusted the distance the player is able to access and store cargo in their ship.
  • Fixed an issue that could sometimes cause a long delay on the Press any button screen.
• Quest Fixes
  • Fixed rare issue that could cause ship patrols not to appear for “First to Fight, First to Die.”
  • Addressed a rare issue where the Contraband scan would not occur potentially preventing landing at New Atlantis.
  • Fixed an unlikely issue that could prevent landing at New Atlantis during “Deep Cover.”
  • Fixed an issue that could prevent Heat Leeches from counting as killed after completing “A Legacy Forged.”
  • Fixed how a location would appear near a hidden Earth landmark.
  • Fixed a rare issue that could potentially trap the player in The Facility.
  • Addressed an infrequent issue where a Spacer Ship didn’t correctly appear for a radiant quest.
  • Fixed an unlikely issue that could appear during “Revelation” depending on how the player interacted with the Emissary.
  • Addressed an issue with the Deimos Slim bottom ship module that is used on the Razorleaf.
  • Fixed rare issue that could prevent companions from accompanying the player after “No Sudden Moves”.
  • Addressed a rare issue that could impact “Power from Beyond.”

Another piece of information Insider-Gaming has gathered is the mention of Starfield's performance on hand-held gaming PCs. “Starfield will run on both the Steam Deck and the ROG Ally with the correct drivers, but the hardware below the recommended minimum specs and performance may suffer,” the leaked document had said.

Bethesda has not officially commented on Steam Deck compatibility for Starfield yet. If the leak is accurate though, Steam Deck players will at least be able to play the game. Do not expect the launch performance to be very smooth on any of the currently released handhelds however.

Starfield launches for Premium and Constellation Edition owners on August 31, while Standard Edition and Game Pass players will gain access on September 6. The Microsoft-published sci-fi RPG is coming out on Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam and Microsoft Store).

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The Core i7-14700K and Core i7-14700KF are said to be priced at $485 and $470, respectively, marking a 14-15% increase over the 13600K series. The Core i5-14600K and 14600KF will see a 15% and 13% price hike to $380 and $345.

The next-gen CPUs will offer moderate performance improvements over the 13th-gen, with single-core speeds estimated to be 4-8% faster and multi-core performance gaining 8-15%. It matches earlier leaks regarding the Intel 14th generation desktop Core i9-14900k, i7-14700k, and i5-14600K.

The flagship Core i9-14900K is slated to have 24 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock speed of 3.2GHz. This represents a 200MHz increase over its predecessor, the Core i9-13900K. Performance uplift is estimated at 3-5% from the extra clock speed.

The Core i7-14700K gets a core count boost to 20 cores and 28 threads, thanks to extra Efficiency cores. This should provide solid multi-threaded performance gains of around 5-10% over the 13700K. However, the Core i5-14600K disappointingly retains the same 6+8 core config as its predecessor, limiting performance gains to around 5% from increased clock speeds alone.

It seems the reported 15% price increase for the CPUs is questionable. With expected marginal gains, this price hike appears hard to justify, especially considering the competitive pressure of AMD's Ryzen 7000 processors.

Intel has yet to announce pricing details for the 14th-Gen. However, motherboard manufacturer ASRock wrote last week that Intel is preparing to launch its 14th gen processors later this year, likely in October. So, taking these prices with a grain of salt until this announcement is worth noting.

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Table of contents:

1. Windows 11
2. Updates are available
3. On the gaming side
4. A blast from Microsoft's past
5. Random fact about Microsoft

Windows 11

Here we talk about everything happening around Microsoft's latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And of course, you may find a word or two about older but still supported versions.

This week's Windows 11 news roundup starts with an update for Windows Development Environment or Microsoft's free Windows 11-based virtual machines with various dev tools for making Windows apps. The company has released version 2308 based on this month's Patch Tuesday updates (build 22621.2134).

Windows Development Environment is available in four prebuilt variants: VMware, Hyper-V, Parallels, and VirtualBox. You can use them for free and without activation for 90 days, after which you must update to a newer version (Microsoft releases a new one every month).

Microsoft revealed more details about the recent patch for a kernel vulnerability that could have introduced "a potential breaking change." However, according to the revised bulletin, Microsoft's multiple internal tests showed no issues related to the update. Phew!

You are probably aware by now that Windows 11's next feature update will introduce a big upgrade for File Explorer. One of the best changes is native support for RAR, 7Z, TAR, and other archive types. This week, we decided to conduct an experiment and give File Explorer a run for its money by comparing its performance with WinRAR (this one needs no introduction) and NanaZIP, a well-made fork of 7Zip with optimizations for Windows 11. The results may surprise you.

Less exciting Windows news includes a story about Microsoft's operating system begging Chrome users to make Bing their default search engine. Multiple users report seeing annoying banners promoting Bing and its features, such as AI-powered capabilities, Microsoft Rewards points, and more.

Also, new details emerged about a critical vulnerability in Intel's processors from the 7th to 11th generation. GDS (Gather Data Sampling) could infer data from affected CPUs across security boundaries, such as user-kernel, processes, virtual machines, and trusted execution environments. Intel recommends installing the latest firmware available for your motherboard to protect your system.

To finish the section with bad news and controversies, here is a story about a weird bug haunting those with MSI motherboards: Microsoft is investigating a problem causing blue screens of death with the Unsupported Processor stop code after installing KB5029351 and KB5029331. If your system is also affected, check out the official workaround from MSI while Microsoft is busy working on a permanent fix.

After a few days of research, Microsoft published a statement, claiming cumulative updates are not to blame and the problem hides within "a limited subset of processors." Fortunately, Microsoft is working with OEMs to resolve the problem as fast as possiblt.

Windows Insider Program

Here is what is new in the Windows Insider program this week:

• Canary Channel: 25931.1010 for "pipeline testing." There are no new features or visible changes. On August 25, Microsoft released a proper new build, 25936, with post-OOBE improvements and various fixes.
• Dev Channel: 23531 with a controversial taskbar change, Task Manager fixes, and other minor improvements across the operating system.
• Beta Channel: 22621.2262 with the redesigned home page for the Settings app and many more.

Besides new builds from the official source, Windows Insiders got their hands on a leaked pre-release Windows 11 build. Version 21262 is believed to be the first Windows 11 development build compiled on November 13, 2020.

Optional updates

Those using supported Windows 10 and 11 versions can download the latest set of optional non-security updates:

• KB5029331 for Windows 10 with fixes for high CPU load, BitLocker improvements, virtual print, and other enhancements.
• KB5029332 for Windows 10 version 21H2 with location improvements.
• KB5029351 for Windows 10 version 22H2 with a new taskbar feature you will most likely hate.

By the way, Microsoft released a new group policy for managing optional updates and controlled feature rollouts. Also, there is a "critical dynamic update" (KB5029863) for improved Windows 11 setup and Windows Recovery (WinRE).

Finally, a new report revealed details about new AI-based features coming soon to Windows 11. The company plans to supercharge Paint with generative art and the Windows Camera/Photos app with optical character recognition (OCR). Since the report is unconfirmed, take it with a reasonable grain of salt.

Updates are available (you may not like some)

This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties.

Parallels Desktop, a popular virtualization utility for macOS, received a big feature update to version 19 with multiple improvements. The latest release adds compatibility with macOS Sonoma, graphics improvements, performance enhancements, TouchID support for Windows 10 and 11, and many more. If you have a modern Mac and need to run Windows 11 on it, check out Parallels Desktop and its latest enhancements in version 19.

Microsoft's Excel got a major feature update this week. Microsoft 365 insiders can try the new Python integration that lets you use Python for visualizations, cleaning data, machine learning, predictive analytics, and many more. The feature is now rolling out to insiders using Excel on Windows, and you can expect the same update on other platforms shortly.

We also finally have an update from @NTDEV_, the creator of the critically acclaimed tiny10/11 project. The latest tiny10 release (version 23H2) brings a lightweight and modern Windows 10 modification with multiple improvements and enhanced compatibility with most Windows components. The latter will let you install additional features without the risk of them breaking.

tiny10 23H2 is now available for download (currently x64-only), but remember that the operating system requires activation with a genuine key.

Other noteworthy updates include the following:

• Microsoft Edge 116 has hit the Stable Channel, bringing fixes and minor improvements alongside the previously announced Microsoft Edge for Business experience. You can learn more about it in our dedicated coverage.
• Microsoft Designer is another new feature for Microsoft Edge users. Click the corresponding button in the sidebar, type what you want Microsoft Designer to create, and see the service generating "stunning visual design options" for you to choose from.
• Microsoft Teams also received an AI-powered feature called Typeface AI. It lets you quickly generate marketing content using Azure Machine Learning and Azure OpenAI Service.
• Those using Microsoft Edge on mobile will be happy to learn about two new features: on-device encryption and CAPTCHA auto-verification.
• Office apps on Windows and the web received a new button for managing add-ins.
• Microsoft Teams for Education gets Search Progress for assigning and tracking research projects. Search Progress and Search Coach are free tools to help students "think critically and search with confidence."
• ExplorerPatcher, a popular tool for customizing Windows 10 and 11, has been updated to resolve compatibility issues with the latest cumulative updates.

Driver updates

New drivers released this week from NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, and other companies include the following:

• AM Radeon Software 23.8.1 fixes high power consumption on idle and supports Immortals of Aveum. There are also fixes for performance drops in some DirectX 11 scenarios and patches for bugs causing annoying crashes. It is also worth noting that AMD announced FSR3, its latest resolution upscaling tech, and a couple of new graphics cards to take on NVIDIA's latest mid-range offerings.
• NVIDIA 537.13 WHQL driver adds support and optimizations for Starfield.
• Intel's latest Arc GPU driver, version 31.0.101.4644, features FPS uplifts, fixes, and a new tool for analyzing game performance. However, that is old news we covered last week. What is new is that the driver has introduced new firmware for the Arc A380 GPU, which, in turn, boosted the core clocks by 150MHz. The change also increased the texture and pixel fill rate from 128GTexel/s and 64GPixel/s to 137.6GTexel/s and 68.8GPixel/s. In addition, Intel's Arc driver can now notify the user about a firmware update during the installation process.

Finally, we published a small guide for those unhappy with the rounded address bar in Microsoft Edge. Enthusiasts discovered a method to revert the browser to its previous squared-like address bar using a simple command and a modified shortcut.

On the gaming side

We have plenty of gaming news to recap this week, so let's start with the official Xbox Series X console wraps coming soon. Those wanting to make their Xbox Series X slightly more exciting can preorder the official Starfield and Arctic or Mineral Camo from the Microsoft Store. The new wraps will let gamers customize their consoles without purchasing new (and seldom announced) editions. They are also great for supporting your favorite game, such as the upcoming Starfield (check out its launch time for each time zone).

The official Starfield wrap for Xbox Series X will be available on October 18, while Artic and Mineral Camo will hit store shelves on November 10.

The latest Forza Motorsport installment is coming in less than two months, and to help gamers prepare in advance, Microsoft revealed system requirements for PCs and the features the game will utilize. Look out for DirectStorage, NVIDIA DLSS 2, AMD FSR 2.2, and other technologies.

In addition to announcing new games and DLCs, Microsoft launched Age of Empires IV on Xbox consoles with full controller support. The latest version of Microsoft's popular strategy is the second to hit consoles after the Age of Empires II release earlier this year. To ensure a good experience for Xbox users, Microsoft developed new methods for coordinating units, resource collection, waging wars, and more. Age of Empires IV is now available from the Microsoft Store, or you can play it via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Xbox owners will also be happy to learn that they will soon be able to play Baldur's Gate 3, an incredibly successful game launched this month. Larian Studios founder and CEO Swev Vincke confirmed on X (Twitter) that Baldur's Gate 3 is coming to Xbox "later this year." Although some parts of the game, such as split-screen coop, will not be available on Xbox Series S, the console's official X account revealed that the company would continue working with Larian to "explore the addition of split-screen on Series S post launch." Therefore, the hope is not lost.

By the way, Baldur's Gate 3 got a major update on PC to resolve over 1,000 bugs.

CD Projekt Red revealed new details about the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 update due to release on PC and consoles on September 26, 2023. It will bring long-promised vehicle combat, police chase, redesigned abilities, and more.

GSC GameWorld has finally published the first gameplay trailer for its upcoming S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl game. Developers plan to launch the game in the first quarter of 2024, and those hardly waiting for the release can check out the first official trailer titled "Bolts & Bullets."

This week's biggest gaming story is probably about the ongoing Microsoft-ABK saga. To get the UK's CMA approval this time, the software giant unveiled plans to restructure its cloud gaming business and sell the rights to stream Activision-Blizzard PC games from the cloud to Ubisoft. Microsoft says the agreement "will enable Ubisoft to innovate and encourage different business models" on the cloud streaming market.

Speaking about streaming games from the cloud, NVIDIA's GeForce Now now lets you play games from the PC Game Pass library. On August 24, 2023, Microsoft added more than 10 games, allowing you to play Deathloop, Grounded, Doom, No Man's Sky, and others.

A blast from Microsoft's past

John Callaham's weekly "Look back" series provides throwbacks into the past, detailing the company's products, partnerships, mishaps, and successes.

On August 24, 1995, Microsoft launched Windows 95, a groundbreaking new version of its operating system. The announcement was special because the OS introduced many new features we are still using and because Microsoft treated the launch as a true media event. According to The Washington Post, Microsoft had spent roughly $300 million to promote its latest software creation. To learn more about the Windows 95 launch date, check out John's look-back article celebrating 28 years since the Windows 95 start.

Last week also marked the end of the Kinect era, with Microsoft announcing it would no longer produce Azure Kinect Developer Kit (an enterprise-focused Kinect variant). What was initially considered a game input revolution ended up in a ditch to make the struggling Xbox One more affordable. John Callaham published a look-back article recalling the initial Kinect (Project Natal) unveiling at E3 2009 to commemorate this fantastic misfire.

Random fact about Microsoft

And here is a randomly selected piece of trivia about the company, Windows, and other Microsoft-made things.

Modern Windows versions with the NT kernel work on x86, x64, and ARM platforms. Did you know that Windows NT was also available on other architectures? Although none of them made it to modern times, it was once possible to run Windows NT on MIPS, IA64, Alpha, PowerPC, and even RISC-based Intergraph Clipper.

Credits for sharing the knowledge go to @NTDEV_, the creator or the tiny10 and tin11 projects!

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Developer Digital Extremes hit it big with its free-to-play sci-fi third person action game Warframe that's celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. In 2022, the developer announced plans to create a second free-to-play game, an action-RPG title called Soulframe, that's set in an all-new fantasy world.

This weekend, as part of the team's annual TennoCon fan event, Digital Extremes went all out and showed off over 30 minutes of in-game footage from Soulframe. The footage, which does include some commentary from the game's development team, shows that Soulframe will definitely have a slower pace compared to what Warframe players are used to.

The footage shows the player character exploring part of Soulframe's world, which is called Midrath. The footage showed a variety of gameplay elements, including spell and melee combat combined with some puzzle-solving. There was even a glimpse at two-player co-op gameplay.

Besides the physical world of the game, players can transport themselves to a spirit world that also serves as a central hub. That hub, called the Nightfold Tent, will allow players to not only switch and upgrade their weapons and spells, but they can even switch out player classes as well. Also, Soulframe has a gameplay feature where player characters can chat with their ancestors in the Nightfold Tent.

Visually, Soulframe already looks impressive, with detailed character models and art textures for the world of Midrath. The spell effects look impressive, and the combat, while again slow in pace compared to Warframe, still looks pretty satisfying. At one point in the demo, the player character called upon a giant spirit wolf to take out an enemy, and then afterward got on the wolf's back to continue his quest.

Even with this rather lengthy amount of gameplay footage, Digital Extremes says that Soulframe is still at a fairly early stage of its development. At the moment, there's no word on when the public will get a chance to play Soulframe.

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AMD announced the Radeon RX 7000 series almost a year ago. In it, the first graphics cards to launch were the Navi 31 GPU based Radeon RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT. The announcement also had them display FSR 3.

Then came the Navi 33 GPU based Radeon RX 7600. So that means AMD had flagship graphics cards and then they had budget graphics cards launched in the RX 7000 series. But what about mid-range cards.

About 20 days ago, AMD released a report stating that the Radeon RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT graphics cards are coming soon, in Q3. But we didn’t know their exact date or specs. Now we do.

RX 7800 XT & RX 7700 XT Announced

Currently, the Gamescom trade fair is going on. Many games were showcased during the first day of the Gamescom event. Later, it was expected that AMD would announce the RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT graphics cards. Sure, they did.

At Gamescom, AMD announced the RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT graphics cards, along with their specs and release date. The video of the announcement can be viewed here. The announcement starts after 4:43:00. Both the graphics cards will use a Navi 32 GPU, with the RX 7800 XT using a full size one and the RX 7700 XT using a cut-down one.

RX 7800 XT & RX 7700 XT Specs

In terms of raw specs, the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT comes with RDNA 3 based 60 compute units, 60 ray tracing accelerators, a 2140MHz game clock and a 2430MHz boost clock. It will come with 16GB GDRR6 VRAM with a 256-bit bus interface, running at a memory speed of 19.5Gbps and will have 64MB second-generation infinity cache. The RX 7800 XT will come with a TBP of 263W.

As for the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, it will come with RDNA 3 based 54 CUs and RT accelerators, just 6 less than the RX 7800 XT. It will have a game clock of 2171MHz and a boost clock of 2544MHz. The card will come with 12GB GDDR6 VRAM on a 192-bit bus running at a memory speed of 18Gbps and will have 48MB of second-gen infinity cache. The RX 7800 XT will come with a TBP of 245W.

Both graphics cards will support DisplayPort 2.1 and will also support AV1 encoding. Both of them will require 2×8-pin cables to power the cards.

The cost of the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT will start at $499 and €549 (Euro prices are inclusive of taxes). Whereas, the cost of the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT will start at $449 and €489 (Euro prices are inclusive of taxes).

Both of them are releasing on 6th of September.

RX 7800 XT & RX 7700 XT Performance

AMD claims that the RX 7800 XT graphics card is faster than the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 12GB at native 1440p resolution at max settings.

For the record, the RTX 4070 retails for $599. So, AMD is selling the RX 7800 XT $100 cheaper than its Nvidia rival. Having said that, the performance chart shows how games perform better on the Nvidia RTX 4070 when raytracing is enabled.

For the RX 7700 XT, AMD claims that the graphics card is faster than the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB, here too at native 1440p resolution at max settings.

The RTX 4060 Ti 16GB retails at $499, so AMD wants to show how the RX 7700 XT is $50 cheaper than it. However, the RTX 4060 Ti 16GB virtually performs the same as the 8GB, which sells for $399 instead, so the RX 7700 XT is, in fact, $50 more expensive than the RTX 4060 Ti 8GB.

But ignoring all that, the RX 7700 XT does seem faster than the RTX 4060 Ti in virtually all games except two.

AMD FSR 3 Showcased And Release Date Announced

When AMD announced the RX 7000 series, it also announced the AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 upscaler to rival DLSS 3 by Nvidia. However, for months, we didn’t get any update on the release date of FSR 3. Now we have more information about it.

FSR 3 is an upscaler combined with frame generation, which AMD calls AMD Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF). AMD claims that FSR 3 boosts the game by up to 3.3x in performance mode.

In FSR 3, AMD also introduces Native Anti-Aliasing, which improves the image quality without using any upscaling while still applying high quality anti-aliasing. When combined with frame generations, it can improve the performance further.

AMD also introduced AMD Radeon Anti-Lag+ technology for the RX 7000 series, which claims to reduce the lag further. Something that is an issue with frame generating upscalers.

As for the game support and developers, AMD claims that 15 game developers are on board to support it. Interestingly, AMD claims that AMD Fluid Motion Frames can work on all games at the driver level without game support, but that probably does require an AMD dedicated graphics card.

But coming to the graphics card support part, unlike Nvidia’s DLSS 3, which is limited to just Nvidia RTX graphics cards, that too to the RTX 4000 series, AMD reaffirms that FSR 3 will work on all the graphics cards irrespective of the brand. This is because FSR 3 is going to be open source, just like FSR 1 and 2.

As for the release date, AMD says games with FSR 3 support are coming this fall, which means either this quarter or early next quarter.

FSR 3 Requirements

One big caveat, though, is that because FSR 3 requires powerful hardware, AMD has some recommendations for what types of graphics cards should be usable with it.

For FSR 3 with upscaling and frame generation, AMD says a minimum AMD Radeon RX 5700 is required and the AMD Radeon RX 6000 series is recommended. For Nvidia, the recommendation is similar. It suggests the RTX 2000 series as the minimum and recommends the RTX 3000 series.

When using upscaling only, AMD says a minimum AMD Radeon RX 590 is required and recommends the AMD Radeon RX 5000 Series. Same with Nvidia, a minimum GTX 1000 series is required, and the RTX 2000 series is recommended.

Why? Because AMD claims that anything more outdated than that might not give any performance improvements.

Conclusion

All these announcements by AMD are excellent. While the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT graphics card is good, the RX 7700 XT is rather disappointing. For now, however, we will have to wait for their official launch and their benchmarks to be sure.

As with FSR 3, everyone is asking when it will come. AMD admits that it was delayed more than expected. But now it’s coming and it’s coming on a big scale. It will be interesting to see it in action when it comes out in games out there.

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Developer Larian Studios' D&D-based fantasy RPG sequel Baldur's Gate 3 launched earlier this month on the PC to widespread critical and player acclaim. However, the game wasn't perfect, as you can imagine, and today, Larian released the first major patch for the title.

In a post on Larian's message board, it has the full patch notes, along with a summary of some of the main issues that have been addressed:

So what can you expect from this update? Well, we’ve eliminated issues like NPCs who sometimes spot you when they really shouldn’t be able to, floating items like mugs and newspapers that should abide the laws of gravity, and the conclusion to Shadowheart’s romance scene not triggering for some players, among others.

The patch has over 1,000 bug fixes, along with a number of game balance and flow changes, according to Larian. If you haven't played the game yet, or if you are in the middle of it, you might not want to read the full patch notes as it contains a number of story spoilers

Larian said that so far, gamers have put in over 200 million hours playing Baldur's Gate 3. The team is already working on a second major patch for the game. It "will feature significant performance improvements" according to the message board post, with more information on those improvements to be revealed later.

Baldur's Gate 3 is set to be released on Sony's PlayStation 5 console on September 6. This week, after talking with Microsoft Xbox head Phil Spencer, Larian confirmed that the game will be coming to Xbox Series X and S consoles sometime before the end of 2023.

However, one big feature of the game, split-screen co-op, will only be possible with the Xbox Series X console, It won't be available for the Xbox Series S due to its hardware limitations.

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Starfield Premium Edition should not be a 365 GB download, but it seems that it’s happening to some people, especially if they’re downloading it from the Microsoft Store.

This user, for example, has been unlucky enough to get such a download, which can literally occupy more than 60% of an Xbox console’s space.

However, Bethesda officially confirms that Starfield occupies 125 GB in your hard drive, and some versions of the game can get to 139 GB. Future patches or expansions will add more GB to it, but it’s nowhere near 365 GB. So what’s happening?

Why is Starfield Premium Edition labeled as a 365 GB download?

Well, some say that Microsoft Store is actually downloading every version of the game, including the Standard one. Others say Microsoft Store is actually downloading other games in the queue, as well. So before canceling your Starfield download, check to see if the Microsoft Store is not actually downloading other games.

Another solution is to stop the download, log off of your Microsoft Store account, and re-log again. Start downloading your Starfield again.

As a last resort, you can contact Microsoft Store Support.

Have you encountered this issue while downloading Starfield Premium Edition from Microsoft Store? What did you do?

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During AMD's Gamescom live stream, the company's gaming marketing head Frank Azor stated that Square Enix's Forspoken, and the just-launched EA magic-themed first-person shooter Immortals of Aveum will get patches in a few weeks that will enable FSR 3 support,

That means those games should get huge frame rate boosts thanks to the use of AMD's frame generation tech, which it calls Fluid Motion Frames. Indeed, the company claims that when using FSR 3 in Forspoken, frame rates in 4K went up from 36 fps to 122 fps.

FSR 3 support will be added to a number of other games in the very near future. That includes CD Projekt Red's upcoming expansion pack Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. Also, Epic Games' Unreal Engine will add a plug-in for FSR 3 which means tons of game developers that use that engine will be able to support that technology.

FSR 3 should run well on AMD's Radeon RX 6000 and 7000 graphics cards, and even some older cards as well (indicating RX 5000 series support and perhaps even RX 400/500 support). AMD says it will also work with Microsoft's Xbox consoles, which use custom AMD Radeon GPUs. But Sony's PlayStation 5 was not mentioned.

However, AMD had a small surprise. It announced that the FSR 3 team is working on a way to enable the technology to work on any DirectX 11 or 12 game, which means, in theory, thousands of titles will soon be able to get big frame rate boosts. That update is coming sometime in the first quarter of 2024.

The company is also the official GPU and CPU for the long-awaited Starfield game from Bethesda Softworks. While it would not comment on specific frame rates for that game, the company said it would run very smoothly on AMD hardware.

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The Moderator Rewards Program is a tiered system that rewards moderators with trophies and special flair for their helpfulness in answering questions from other moderators. As you earn comment karma from your helpful replies, you will progress through the tiers and receive trophies and flair that reflect your level of moderator expertise and helpfulness.

The moderator support team writes in the announcement post:

Reddit can be a complex place for newbie and expert Mods alike, and the knowledge you share with each other here is incredibly powerful. The Mod Helper Program is a new system that awards helpful Mods with level-specific trophies and flair based on comment karma in r/ModSupport. This will both recognize Mods who are particularly helpful and reliable sources of knowledge for their fellow Mods, all with the goal of celebrating your support of each other and fostering a culture in this community where mods readily collaborate and learn from one another.

Starting August 24th, your comment karma in r/ModSupport will earn you trophies and special flairs. Trophies showcase your contributions and signal your expertise to other mods. The trophies update monthly, and you'll keep them until you reach the next level. The first trophies will appear in October later this year. Your Special Flair, like "Helper" or "Expert Helper," is based on your current comment karma and updates automatically as you level up.

In addition, Reddit has also introduced a new Modmail Answer Bot, which auto-responds with “several links to Help Center articles that may help answer your question”. If the bot gets it wrong, you can respond with “more help” and it will create a ticket that will be handled by a human admin.

Reddit is also merging the Mod Help Center with the existing Help Center “to ensure that all of our support resources are easy to find and accessible from the same location.”

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The specs of AMD's Radeon RX 7700 XT and 7800 XT.

AMD

 

AMD has been slower than Nvidia to fill out its next-generation GPU lineup, and for months there has been a huge gap between the Radeon RX 7900 XT (currently retailing between $750 and $850) and the Radeon RX 7600 (holding steady at $270ish). Today, the company is finally filling in that gap with the new Radeon RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT, both advertised as 1440p graphics cards and available starting at $449 and $499, respectively. Both cards will be available on September 6. And most Radeon RX 6000 and RX 7000 GPUs sold between now and September 30 will come with a free copy of Bethesda's upcoming "Skyrim in space" title, Starfield.

 

AMD kept the prices of both cards under wraps while pre-briefing members of the press about the announcement, which is unusual but not hard to explain. AMD's RX 7600 launch was spoiled a bit by Nvidia, which preempted the 7600's announcement by offering a more powerful GeForce RTX 4060 at the same $299 price that AMD had planned for the 7600. This prompted AMD to cut the 7600's price to $269 before it was even announced; we'll have to wait and see if Nvidia chooses to change its prices in response to the new Radeon cards' launch.

 

The RX 7700 XT and 7800 XT are based on the same RDNA 3 graphics architecture as the other 7000-series GPUs, which means a more efficient manufacturing process than the RX 6000 series, DisplayPort 2.1 support, and hardware acceleration for encoding with the AV1 video codec, which promises game streamers either higher-quality video at the same bitrate as older codecs or the same quality with a lower bitrate. AMD compared the 7800 XT and 7700 XT favorably to Nvidia's $600 upper-midrange RTX 4070 and the $500 16GB version of the RTX 4060 Ti.

 

The new Radeon cards also support FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) version 3, a new version of AMD's GPU-agnostic AI upscaling technology that also promises extra AI-generated frames à la Nvidia's proprietary DLSS 3 and DLSS Frame Generation feature. But unlike Nvidia, AMD isn't restricting FSR 3 to its latest cards, and users of RX 6000-series cards plus recent Nvidia GeForce and Intel Arc cards will be able to benefit, too, at least when games start supporting it. You can read more about FSR 3 and AMD's other software announcements here.

What’s in a name?

Like the 7900 series, both GPUs use a chiplet-based design, where the main GPU hardware is located in a large silicon die built on TSMC's 5 nm manufacturing process and multiple small memory controller dies (MCDs) built on a 6 nm process (the RX 7600 uses a single monolithic die, like the laptop versions of the RDNA 3 GPUs).

 

Both cards use the same GPU die (codenamed Navi 32). But the RX 7800 XT has more of AMD's compute units (CUs) enabled, as well as more MCDs. Each MCD adds 64 bits to the memory bus width—the 7800 XT uses four MCDs, while the 7700 XT uses three.

 

If there's thread that runs through the last 12 months' worth of GPU launches, it's that the performance you can get for your money hasn't improved all that much unless you're paying for a tippy-top high-end card like the GeForce RTX 4090 or 4080 or the Radeon 7900 XTX. Sure, cards like the RTX 4060 and RX 7600 perform a bit faster than their predecessors at similar prices. And power efficiency has improved a lot, particularly for Nvidia's cards. But the very best you can usually get is "the same performance for a little less money" or "a little bit faster for the same money."

 

Neither the 7800 XT or 7700 XT look to change that equation much. We'll need to test them to see for sure, but it looks like the 7800 XT will be (at best) a small step up from the 6800 XT for around the same price (the 6800 XT currently starts at around $500). The 7700 XT looks like a substantial step up from the current 6700 XT and 6750 XT, but for around $90 more than the 6750 XT currently sells for, and it's barely cheaper than the more-powerful 7800 XT.

 

	RX 7900 XT	RX 7800 XT	RX 6800 XT	RX 6800	RX 7700 XT	RX 6700 XT	RX 6750 XT	RX 7600
Compute units (Stream processors)	84 (5,376)	60 (3,840)	72 (4,608)	60 (3,840)	54 (3,456)	40 (2,560)	40 (2,560)	32 (2,048)
Boost Clock	2,400 MHz	2,430 MHz	2,250 MHz	2,105 MHz	2,544 MHz	2,581 MHz	2,600 MHz	2,600 MHz
Memory Bus Width	320-bit	256-bit	256-bit	256-bit	192-bit	192-bit	192-bit	128-bit
Memory Clock	2,500 MHz	2,438 MHz	2,000 MHz	2,000 MHz	2,250 MHz	2,000 MHz	2,250 MHz	2,250 MHz
Memory size	20GB GDDR6	16GB GDDR6	16GB GDDR6	16GB GDDR6	12GB GDDR6	12GB GDDR6	12GB GDDR6	8GB GDDR6
Total board power (TBP)	315 W	263 W	300 W	250 W	245 W	230 W	250 W	165 W

 

Comparing the RX 7800 XT to its direct predecessor, we're looking at fewer compute units offset by a newer architecture and higher clock speeds (unlike some Nvidia cards, AMD is at least giving you the same memory bus width and the same amount of RAM). The rated power consumption is 12 percent lower, which is nice, but pushing the clock speeds higher may have disproportionately increased power consumption (compared to the 7900 XT, which has 40 percent more CUs but only uses 20 percent more power).

 

Price, performance, and efficiency are the most important things about any GPU, and how a card is named is only tangentially related to those things. But in this case, it seems like the RX 7800 XT is a more logical replacement for the non-XT RX 6800, which had the same number of CUs, while the mostly China-exclusive "RX 7900 Golden Rabbit Edition" with 80 CUs seems like a more straightforward upgrade path for the RX 6800 XT.

 

The RX 7700 XT is more compelling when compared to its direct predecessors. It has more compute units than the RX 6700 series cards, the same amount of memory and memory bus width, and consumes about as much power as the RX 6750 XT that AMD released as a mid-generation refresh last year.

 

AMD is making a first-party version of the RX 7800 XT's reference design on its website; though an (identical) reference design is pictured for the RX 7700, AMD told us that it won't be making or selling one. The 7800 XT's reference card is smaller than either 7900-series reference design, with an understated RGB-free dual-fan cooler, but it's larger than the diminutive RX 7600. Both cards use a pair of 8-pin power connectors, avoiding the newer but occasionally controversial 12VHPWR connector.

 

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According to AMD's performance figures, the RX 7800 XT compares well to the $600 RTX 4070, running between 5 and 23 percent faster in 1440p games with ray-tracing effects turned off and even outperforming it in a handful of games with light ray-tracing effects. In games that make heavier use of ray tracing, AMD is at its usual performance deficit relative to Nvidia.

 

The RX 7700 XT stacks up even better than the 16GB version of the $500 RTX 4060 Ti, though bear in mind that this card performs identically to the $400 8GB model in games that don't use the extra RAM. It's between 31 and 9 percent faster in titles without ray tracing enabled, and it's fast enough that even games that use ray-tracing effects extensively shouldn't run too much slower on AMD's card.

 

While performance relative to Nvidia's latest-generation cards looks mostly competitive, Nvidia's architecture still looks more power-efficient. The RTX 4070 is rated at 200 W, compared to 263 W for the RX 7800 XT, while the 245 W RX 7700 XT is being compared to a 160 W 4060 Ti. We'll look into real-world power usage numbers when we test them.

 

Listing image by AMD

 

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He said people want reassurance that this new technology will not go rogue, having seen "too many science fiction movies that have gone the other way." According to Smith, AI is becoming an indispensable technology and requires transparency through standards set by stakeholders across all segments.

Brad believes that a regulatory blueprint should establish principles that are applied at multiple levels. Implementation will require AI users to know their customers, how AI is used, and the content it creates.

They have seen too many science fiction movies that turned out the other way. And as we are creating what feels like part of science fiction, we need companies and regulators to focus on that.

It means that there is a real focus on knowing what cloud it is being deployed, and focus on knowing the content that is being created and especially if it is being created by AI.

Microsoft also released its own white paper after the summit, proposing a regulatory blueprint for AI. It includes requiring companies to know how their customers use AI, create national and global standards, and apply regulations at different layers such as application, model, cloud, and data center.

The Microsoft executive called for standards within the private sector and national and global policy frameworks. "We're going to have to figure out how they connect," he said of coordination across those levels.

Smith's comments come amid increased scrutiny of AI technology and its implications. In July, Microsoft, Google and other companies met with President Biden to discuss the responsible development of AI.

Over the past few months, Microsoft has integrated AI into many of its products. That includes its Bing Chat AI, and its Copilot features that are coming to both Microsoft 365 and Windows 11, among other products.

Source: Times of India (paywalled)

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In an apparent effort to broaden the country’s semiconductor manufacturing, the Chinese government is paying sizeable signing bonuses and offering housing subsidies for qualified experts in the field, according to a report from Reuters.

The incentives are said to be a follow-on effort to the Chinese government’s Thousand Talents Plan, which was apparently shuttered in 2018 when the US began investigating scientists involved in it. Dubbed Qiming, the new program has not been widely publicized by China, which does not list it on official websites or publish the names of awardees, Reuters reported.

Whether the effort is will be successful is unclear, the report added. Some Chinese experts in the field who live overseas are said to be leery of returning home because of the political environment.

The idea behind China’s plan is to buttress the country’s domestic semiconductor industry. China’s share of the overall chip market is low, particularly compared to nearby Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. During the past decade, the government has taken a number of steps to change that, according to Gaurav Gupta, Gartner vice president and analyst.

“I think China only fully realized the relevance of the [domestic] semiconductor industry around 2010,” Gupta said. “Over the last 10 years, they have been investing heavily in developing that industry, so they have a good ecosystem for the fabless companies.”

China does have a fairly well-established manufacturing ecosystem for mature chip types, as well as associated packaging and testing industries, Gupta noted. But the country lags far behind the leaders in several other areas of the semiconductor world, most notably wafer fabrication equipment, advanced leading-edge chips, and electronic design automation.

That’s where the influx of new talent comes in, he said.

“They still need that talent and expertise and experience ..., and that’s why they want talent to come to China, whether it is Chinese nationals educated in the US or experienced people who have worked in the industry in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan,” Gupta said.

Other countries are working hard to build out domestic semiconductor production — the US, EU and other western states have recently implemented business subsidies to incentivize companies to build new foundries and facilities — but Gupta said he’s unaware of any other programs providing subsidies directly to scientists and other experts.

“Chip experts are in demand, not just in China, but across the board,” he said. “There’s a big talent gap.”

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has released the first-ever video of its rover for lunar mission Chandrayaan-3.

In the video, the rover is seen coming down the ramp of Chandrayaan-3's lander, Vikram, onto the surface of the Moon.

India made history on 23 August when Vikram successfully touched down near the south pole of the Moon.

The 26kg rover called Pragyaan (the Sanskrit word for wisdom) was carried to the lunar surface in the lander's belly.

It will now roam around the rocks and craters of the Moon, gathering crucial data and images to be sent back to Earth for analysis.

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The Autophage has risen across the No Man's Sky universe, a race of never-before-seen robotic beings that looks like they are made out of scrap materials. They will be present on many of the habitable planets, but to find their hidden camps, players will upgrade their scanner to a new tier.

There's a new language to learn, procedurally generated missions, new upgrades, hidden lore drops, and more to discover from this robotic race. Players can even take on Autophage fashion choices to customize their own character.

Also new to No Man's Sky are battles with pirate capital ships. Players can intervene when these dreadnoughts are preying on NPC ships to try and take them down. To help with this, space combat has been upgraded to include power modes in starships, letting players send power to their weapons, shields, or engines depending on the situation.

Meanwhile, to take down freighters players can do Star Wars-like trench runs by swooping into the superstructures and doing damage to their vulnerable points. These mega-ships now feature modules that can be destroyed to disable their weaponry, shields, and even warping capabilities to make destroying them, with a final hit to the core, a little easier.

The update also carries a new line of story missions covering the robotic race, new types of multitools, Switch and PSVR2 visual upgrades, plus the new Voyagers Expedition for the community to complete. Find the complete patch notes here.

The No Man's Sky Echoes update is now live on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch systems.

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Samsung has yet to reveal full details about the upcoming upgrade. The Samsung 990 PRO with 2TB boasts impressive speeds of up to 7,450MB/s read and 6,900MB/s write. The price is also unknown, but you can bet it will not be cheap—the current 2TB variant costs $219.99 (currently available for $169.99 on samsung.com), and comparable models with 4TB reach north of $300.

Like its smaller siblings, the Samsung 990 PRO with 4TB will be available in two variants: with and without a heatsink. The latter also features a bunch of LEDs to spice up your PC build. Samsung claims its 990 PRO lineup is PlayStation 5-compatible, so the 4TB config will make a perfect, albeit quite expensive, storage upgrade to ensure your console never runs out of storage.

Although Samsung is widely considered one of the best SSD makers, the company ended up in hot waters at the beginning of this year after multiple reports of rapid health drops and less-than-satisfactory damage control. However, after a few weeks, Samsung acknowledged the problem and released a firmware update to resolve the issue. Those planning to buy the 990 PRO with 4TB will get Samsung's limited 5-year warranty with 2,400 TBW (via Tom's Hardware).

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In a post on Bethesda's site, there's an infographic with launch times and days for different locations and time zones. The early access period will begin as early as August 31 in North and South America for people who purchase the Premium or Constellation editions of Starfield. They can start at 8 pm on that day Eastern time, and 5 pm Pacific time.

The rest of the world will start playing the game in Early Access on September 1. That includes New Zealand at 12 noon (NZST), 9 am in Tokyo (JST), 8 am in Hong Kong (HKT) 2 am in Berlin (CEST) and 1 am in London (BST)

People who buy the Standard Edition of Starfield can start playing several days later. In North and South America that happens on September 5 at the same time as the early access time zones. The rest of the world can play the game on September 6, again at the same times as the early access time zone period.

In related news. game streaming accessories company Elgato has just announced special Starfield limited edition versions of its Stream Deck and its Wave 3 Microphone. Both will have special Starfield artwork and come in packages with Starfield graphics as well. We don't know what else these new versions will have, nor do we have a price point yet.

The Starfield editions of these products will go on sale on August 31 at the Elgato.com website. There's no word on exactly how limited these products will be, so if you want one, you might want to hit refresh a lot on August 31 on that site so you can get one before they sell out.

As an Amazon Associate when you purchase through links on our site, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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What you need to know

• Samsung unveiled two new monitors during Gamescom 2023.
• The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is a 57-inch curved ultrawide display that is the equivalent of having two 32-inch UHD displays in one.
• Pearl Abyss (the developers of Black Desert Online and Crimson Desert) and Activision Blizzard (publishers of Overwatch, World of Warcraft) collaborated with Samsung to show off the Odyssey Neo G9.
• Samsung also unveiled Odyssey Ark 55" with a 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time.

Screen real estate can be hard to come by, and even if you have the desk space for multiple monitors you may not want to have the bezels obstructing your view. That's where ultrawide monitors reign supreme. Samsung's line of ultrawide monitors continues to grow even larger with the 57-inch-wide behemoth, the Odyssey Neo G9.  The brand-new wide screen is the first ever Dual UHD monitor on the market, delivering an immersive visual experience designed for gamers looking to enhance performance.

The Odyssey Neo G9 boasts a 240Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time with less blur, minimized ghosting and support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology for tear and stutter-free gaming.

With a 1000R curvature, the Odyssey Neo G9's 57-inch screen is as wide as two 32-inch UHD monitors and wraps around the user to fully immerse them in their gaming experience with pin-sharp images and a wide field of view that utilizes Quantum Matrix Technology to power Samsung's Quantum Mini LED lighting. With smaller and more discrete dimming zones gamers experience sharp contrast and less blooming. 

Samsung's Odyssey Neo G9 features comfortable multitasking in a single-screen environment and supports Picture-in-Picture as well as Picture-by-Picture mode with multiple inputs at a glance. Auto Source Switch+ allows gamers to instantly connect new devices without needing to flip through input sources while Core Lighting+ and CoreSync ensures that the monitor fits in your set up with ambient lighting that matches the mood of the game. 

Samsung has partnered with both Activision Blizzard and Pearl Abyss to show off what the Odyssey Neo G9 has to offer at Samsung's Booth in Hall 9 at Gamescom 2023 in Cologne, Germany.

"Activision Blizzard is thrilled to join forces with Samsung at Gamescom, an iconic event that celebrates the gaming community,” said Jim McMullin, Managing Director at Activision Blizzard EMEA. “Together with Samsung, we are proud to offer an exclusive pre-launch hands-on Warcraft Rumble gameplay experience, showcasing the power of our games on the cutting-edge Galaxy devices, alongside World of Warcraft as you've never seen it before on Super Ultra-Wide Odyssey monitors, and the exciting next chapter of Overwatch 2, Overwatch 2: Invasion.”

Lybee Park, CEO of Pearl Abyss Europe, expressed her excitement: "Our collaboration with Samsung for this year's Gamescom fills us with enthusiasm. Together, we stand ready to captivate visitors with Black Desert Online’s critically-acclaimed 'Land of the Morning Light,' showcased on Samsung's cutting-edge lineup of gaming monitors. This synergy promises an unmatched level of immersion for players. As an added bonus, every player will receive a complimentary copy of Black Desert Online, which includes the aforementioned expansion. Beyond that, participants will also have the chance to secure exclusive rewards, prizes, and engage with our cosplayers, Community Managers and Game Masters in a truly interactive experience."

Samsung has also announced an upgrade to the popular Odyssey Ark 55" gaming monitor. Dubbed the world's first 55-inch 1000R curved gaming screen, the Odyssey Ark 55" will be getting new features designed for convenience and quality. With a 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, the Odyssey Ark 55" will now have an all-new Cockpit mode and Samsung Multi View, which will let users see up to 4 inputs on the screen at once.  Split-screen like a boss with full command and convenience on one screen, even with external devices. Three HDMI ports and a new DisplayPort 1.4 connection will support 4k UHD streams while an all new KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switch will allow gamers to use the Odyssey Ark as a single command station for smooth multitasking across multiple devices. Control all the devices connected to the monitor with a single mouse and keyboard input.

Both the Odyssey Neo G9 57" and the newly upgraded 2023 Odyssey Ark will be available for pre-order at Gamescom 2023. 

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